High-visibility traffic signal



NOV 4, 1952 J. c. THIEM, sR

HIGH-VISIBILITY TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed July 24 1951 INVENTOR. Joli/v @ma 5 7,70

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ATTO RN EYS.

Patented NOV. 4, 1952.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HIGH-VISIBILITY TRAFFIC SIGNAL John Charles Them, Sr., Newport,l Ky.

` Application July 24, 1951, Serial No. 238,236

e claims. (c1. 177-329) y 1 n `This invention relates to a traic signal an more particularly to a signal carrying a message which must bel readily visible and legible even though the direct rays of the sun may at certain hours of the day impinge directly upon it. The invention is particularly adapted to traffic signals wherein a message is presented and where it is desired that that message be legible only during certain hours of the day. Thus for example many situations are found where a street is a one-way street in one ydirection during the morning hours and a one-way street in the opposite direction during the evening hours. It may be desirable to have a `signal with the message Do not enter placed at each end of the street and to arrange the signal to be legibleduring the hours when traffic is approaching from the opposite direction.

yIt will be understood that while the invention is described herein particularly with reference to a traie signal that it is equally adaptable for an advertising sign or the like. Y

Where a traffic signal or advertising sign is so placed that the direct rays of the sun may impinge upon it during the early morning or late afternoon hours the messageis not readily legi'- ble at such times. It is an object therefore of the present invention to provide such a signal or sign which will be clearly legible even though substantially horizontal rays of sunlight impinge directly upon it.

It is an additional object of the invention to provide such a device that when the sign or signal isrnot illuminated the message cannot possibly be read, even when rays of light from the sun impinge upon it almost horizontally.

Further objects of the invention include the provision ofa sign or signal as outlined above which will be simple and inexpensive in constructionand which can be readily serviced when required. a

i These and other Objects of the invention which will be pointed out in more detail hereinafter or r'which will be apparent toy one skilled in the art upon reading these specications I accomplish by vthat certain construction and arrangement of describe an exemplary forming a Y 2 tional view similar tov Figure 2 showing details of the message panel and reector fastening device.

Figure 4is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary detailed cross sectional view ion an enlarged scale through the louver structure.

nuorescent light source andthe `housing may contain the` necessary transformer for the light source as well as a asher device or the like. The

reflector will preferably be semi-cylindrical and will be of a highly yreflective nature.

In front of the light source I place the message panel which will be of glass, plastic or similar material and which will be opaque and black in color except for the message which will be translucent. f i

In front of the message panel I provide a grill or louver member comprising a plurality of parallel slat members which are disposed at a slight inclination to the horizontal. A hood member extends forwardly from the message panel and past the slat structure to prevent stray side light and top light from impinging upon the message panel. Theinside of the hood member, as well 'as all exposed parts of the grill member, are

painted flat black to prevent light reflection. In the event that there is danger that the message may be read when the sign or signal is not illuminated, I place in front of the message panel and behind the grill structure a piece of fine mesh screen similar to window screen which is painted white. With this member in place and with the illuminating element not energized it is impossible to read the clearmessage in the black message panel.

Turning now to the figures for a more detailed description of the device I have illustrated a housing which may be of sheet metal or the like at I0.v The housing proper may be assembled in any desired manner, 'as by Welding, soldering, sheet metal screws'or the like. At the back of the housing I prefer to provide the` angle frame members Il which serve for the fastening on of the back panel I2 which is shown as being secured to the housing Il] by the sheet metal screws I3. By removing the back panel 'I2 access may be er device indicated at I5; Transverse angle mem,-

bers I6 are provided for further bracing the structure and hanger eyes I1 may be secured thereto in conventional manner so that the sign may be suspended from an overhead support.

The upper portion of the housing I8 extends well forwardly and may have its front edge slightly depressed as at I8, and it may be provided with the inturned flange I9 for strengthening purposes. At the bottom the housing preferably terminates .at a jpointiindicated at 26, but 'the side walls thereof are continued forwardly in a generally triangular conguration as indicatedat 2|. The lower edges of the portions 2| may be return bent as at 22 to give greater :strength :and rigidity.

A light source which may be aneontube -is -ifndicated at 23 and it is supportedjcy conventional hanger elements generally indicated at 24.

Angle pieces 25 are secured to the housing "I6 at the top and bottom to serve as mounting elements fior the message fpanel .and 'the frenector. iIhe reector indicated .at :26 :is a generally semi-cylindrical piece of sheet metal hav- :ing the ilanges .2:7 :at .theztop .and bottom .thereof. Holes ZSareprOyided in the flanges for ithe passage :of :the fiastenins .screw .indicated .at 29. -Ihe .numeral .3D 'indicates -.a :rubber v.or `.other .resilient gasket-like member, and .thegmessagefpanel is indicated at .3.1. .At -the 'top Vand bottom of the message panel strips or spacers `'3.2 of the same thickness as the message A.panel .are provided. ,and these :have `the holes ;33 .for :the pas- ;sage of the `fastening screw 2.9. A frame yelement .of generally iur-shape is indicated at 34 vwhich .embraces the edges of lthe message `panel f .3J and the spacer members 3.2.. The fastening screw 2.9 Apasses through .holesin the fframefmembers 34, through the hole v.3.31m the spacers 32, through .holes :inthe :gasket 30, .through the holes f2.8 in the anges of the reiiector -26 and engage ,threadedly with .the .flanges 25 .as best .seen .in Figure 3. -The .spacers .3 2 prevent "breakage of the message panel if too much pressure is .used on the fastening screws .29..

The reector 26--vwl1have its concave v'surface 'reectively treated. This .may involve a white paint or the like with :glass fbeads such as are used on motion picture screens.

VThe message panel itself is black and has at least an .outer opaque surface. The Vmessage .itself, as indicated at .35.,3Wi11 be translucent. .The glass, .if desired, may have 1.a ground glass .or `granulated .surface .Indicated generally :at .36 is .a grill .or louver structure which .may wbe made :from a :single piece o f sheet material. A .series of slats 3.1 are .cut and bentinwardly from :the plane `of the material to form a series of parallel slats, as :best seen Ain VFigure i2.. The Agrill :or louver structure :3.6, ,as well as .a11 inside surfaces .of the hood, -wll be given a flat black treatment :to .minimize -reiiectivity within the hood and lon fthe structure :36.

While the extending hood .and `its .downwardly turned front `edge .1.8 `will prevent .direct .sunlight from Yimpinging zupon the .message panel .40, except when the .sun is very low .on the horizon, -the ,structure 136 provides .additional `pro-- -tection `rwhere the rays of .the :sun are A.practically `horizontal. Thus .I .tilt vthe slats slightly with `respect to the horizontal and A.this :may of course be accomplished by having the slats at an angle other-than v.a right angle with respect tothe plane of .the lmaterial from which :they are struck out or preferably .as shown in Figure -.by mounting 4 the member 36 at a slight angle to the vertical. The angle is not too critical except that it should render the message clearly visible at a distance of approximately one block and the message should also be visible from a relatively short distance. I have determined that the angle of the slats with respect to the horizontal should be between about 2 and about 5. The structure 36 is mounted in the hood, as best seen in .Figure 4. .Anglemembers ill fare secured by spot 'welding orthelike tothe opposed lateral edges of the structure 36. The angle members 4| are 'provided with holes for the passage of pins d2. The pins A2 are secured to spring strips 43 which are spot welded or otherwise secured to the `plates 44 Vwhich in turn are welded to the :side v,walls .2.I .of .the hood. A hole 45 is provided in each o'f 'the plates 44 for entry of the pin S62. The louver structure is placed in position by withdrawing the spring member 43 by hand and passing .the lp.n.4'2 through a suitable -hole .in .the xangle :4l land .releasing the spring d3 whereupon the .pin'42 `will enter the hole a5.

The :structure Y36 is thus pivotally hung .in the .side walls v.of .the hood.

.A lsimilar .structure is Vprovided -at `the bottom on each side `.of ithe hood andoneachsde .of `the grill member .36 so .that when it is de- .sred vtohave access .to the message plate the grill membermay be Vfreed from ,its `mounting at the bottom .and swung out counter-clockwise pivoting about the upper pin .4.2.

At 5G I have indicated a screen member which .is 4mounted in=a suitable frameelernent .5l which in turn is secured .to the Vhousing Ill in any desired `manner as for example the bracket indicated vat 52, .and the screen `50 is painted white. With the screen 56 in place if at certain hours of the day vthe .message panel .is not to be illuminated, it will be Yimpossible .to .read the message on the message panel .even though Vrays of light from the sun impinge upon it substantially horizontally from the right, .as seen in Figure 2. The rays of light falling Yupon the screen will give the appearance of a .brilliant white panel and will completely obscure the clear message on the black panel `-behind it. If the tube 23 is energized, .the message will clearly appear through the white painted screen. This situation will be found to be quite rare and .for mostpurposes the device will be completely operated without the member .50 Ain position. The slats 31 placed at an angle, as pointed .out above, will prevent in .most cases the :impingement of light vdirectly upon `the message panel.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that the invention is not strictly limited to a traffic .signal .carrying a message such -as -fDo not enter or "iSitopi .but may be .used

-lfor an advertising signor for a .traffic signal carrying some other message.

It will be understood that numerous modi- `cations maybe lmade without .departing from the Yspirit ofthe invention in 'regard to details of :fastening and the like, land 'I therefore do not intend tolimit myself `inany manner other than as set forth in the claims which follow.

Having now fully described my invention, what 'I iclaim as new and .desire `to :secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a traiiic signal, a housing, a light source in said housing, a messagepanel in .front of said light source, and .a bank of `closely spaced thin parallel slats .arranged one `above the other in Lfront of said message panel. said -slats being dis- 5 posed at an angle between about 2 and about 5 to the horizontal.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said message panel comprises a translucent message on a black, opaque ground.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which said casing includes a hood extending forwardly of said message panel and said slats, the interior of said hood, and said slats, being at black in color.

4. The structure of claim 1 in which a white mesh screen is disposed between said message panel and said bank of slats.

5. The structure of claim 1 in which said slats are xed to a frame, the individual slats being perpendicular to the plane of the frame, and the frame being disposed at an angle of from about 85 to about 88 to the horizontal.

l6. The structure of claim 5 in which said frame is pivotally mounted adjacent its top and in which releasable means are provided adjacent the bottom thereof to permit said frame to be swung out for access to said message panel.

JOHN CHARLES THIEM, SR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the 10 le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

